The words left unsaid
by FieldOfEternalSnow
Summary: They all know that the next mission any one of them takes might be the last. Yet none of them ever say what they feel. The meaning is there but the words remain unsaid. Kakashi, Asuma, Genma and Raidou. No Pairings.


**Always the same joking remark...**

"What? Another mission for the oh so great Copy Nin of Konoha?" Genma smirked around his senbon as he leaned back in his chair.

Kakashi spared him a glance over his cards before he threw some chips on the table, pausing only slightly before he threw in some more and then notified Asuma with a nod that it was his turn.

"So you won't be coming next week then?" Asuma breathed out along with some smoke before he too put some money in the ever growing pile.

"Better make that the next two weeks ne? Knowing him he'd probably try to play it all cool with that eye of his and have to get carried back by his teammates again." Raidou grinned across the table.

"Maahh.. At least I've never cast one of my 1000 jutsus on myself." Kakashi gave one of his best eye smiles at Raidou. "Burned any more of your body lately Fire-starter-kun."

"Che." Raidou threw his chips into the pot, raising the stakes a little before he signaled Genma. The scar on his face stretching with every move of his head.

"Well I guess we just have to win the next two weeks worth of money from you tonight then." Genma said as he put in his share.

Once the round was over Kakashi threw his cards on the table. "Well I better get going, need to get ready for the trip."

"When do you have to leave?" Asuma asked before he lit another cigarette.

"Two hours ago." Kakashi replied nonchalantly.

"Well just let me know when you get back, there's a new bar opening up that we have to try." Asuma said, not surprised in the least that his friend had been playing poker with them instead of going on his mission on time.

Just before Kakashi's silhouette disappeared Genma called after him. " Make sure you come back, you still owe me money dipshit!"

x.x

**Uttered over and over with just a few changes...**

"I see your 10 and raise by 5" Asuma dropped his chips on the table as he drew in some much needed nicotine and then nudged Kakashi to make sure he knew he was next in line.

"Hai, hai" Kakashi mumbled as he threw his chips in the pile on top of his friends. He picked his cards up from the table again, his other arm useless in a sling.

"So as I was saying, me and Raidou will be out on a mission tomorrow so we can't go to that bar with you." Genma bit his senbon in frustration as he viewed his cards. This time it wasn't a bluff, he had shitty cards. He watched Raidou raise the stakes yet again before it became his turn. Screw this he thought as he folded. "Come on Raidou, we'll be late for the mission briefing if we don't leave now."

Raidou looked mournfully at his almost full house before he folded as well. There was no use arguing with Genma when the guy was annoyed.

"Well make sure you come back then, you owe us a round! It's your turn to pay for the drinks, I paid last time." Asuma called after them as they left.

x.x

**When ever one of them went on a mission.**

"So what's so special about this place anyway." Genma asked as he limped up to the bar with his friends. "It looks just like any other bar we've been to."

"Nothing really." Kakashi stated over the edge of his book. Before Genma had the time to ask the 'Then why are we here?' Question that was burning on his face Kakashi continued. "It was just the closest bar we could go to. Wouldn't want to be seen with you limping like an old man all over town now would we." Kakashi plucked the senbon out of his book cover frowning slightly over the new hole, it was the fifth one so far in this volume.

"They have pretty good beer too." Asuma offered to the conversation.

"Che, too bad Raidou is in the hospital." Genma grumbled. "Knowing you guys the bill I'll have to pay is going to be sky high. Just you wait next week, me and Raidou are going to drink Kakashi into bankruptcy."

"Mahhh.. you'll have to do it without me then. Got another mission coming up." Kakashi said as he drew the worn out pack of cards out of his weapon pouch and started dealing them.

"Yeah well just make sure you come back then, I'm sick of playing cards with just the other two idiots."

x.x

**A new one every time...**

"You have to come back because we still haven't tried this."

"You have to come back because you owe me money."

"You have to come back because you owe us a drink."

"You have to come back because the other two are annoying."

x.x

**Yet all of them meaning the same thing.**

"_Make sure you come back home."_

"_Make sure you come__ back safe."_

"_Make sure you come back alive."_

"_Just make sure you come back."_

x.x

**All of them bluffs.**

Hidden behind a mask. Hidden behind smoke. Hidden behind a senbon. Hidden behind a grin and a scar.

x.x

For how can a ninja, who is trained to show no weakness in any situation, who can never show any doubt in their fellow shinobi, ever utter the words:

"_You have to come back because without you how are the rest of us going to cope." _


End file.
